Four Blessings When Choosing God Over Family (Luke 12:49-53 and Matthew 10:34-39)

In this sermon I discuss four blessings when choosing God over family. There aren’t many situations more difficult for Christians to face than having to choose God over family. Allow these four encouragements to help you if you find yourself in this situation. https://youtu.be/h9rfdJkGLE4 Choosing God over family is one of the most difficult situations Christians face. Allow these four encouragements to help you. Table of ContentsThe Gospel Creates Peace Between God and ManThe Gospel Creates Division Between Man and ManBlessing One: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Be Like ChristBlessing Two: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Teach Our ChildrenBlessing Three: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Discuss Our FaithBlessing Four: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Show God We Love Him Consider the following: A relative claims to be a believer but wants to marry an unbeliever, so you’re unable to support the relationship. A relative claims to be a believer, but is living in habitual sin, so you have to confront the person. I know people and when they chose God over family: It meant supporting church discipline against a family member Or it meant asking a child to leave the house because that child was rebellious As you can imagine, even though these people made the right decision, it was still excruciating. There are examples in the Old Testament of people having to choose God over family members. For example… Moses called for the execution of the individuals responsible for constructing the Golden Calf. This meant some Israelites had to kill their own relatives… Exodus 32:27 [Moses] said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you KILL HIS BROTHER AND HIS COMPANION AND HIS NEIGHBOR.’” This gives us a good idea of how wicked idolatry is. Another example involving idolatry… King Asa was one of the greatest reformers in the Old Testament. When he purged the idolatry from the land, he even had to punish his own grandmother, because she made an idol… 1 Kings 15:13 [Asa] removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. I can only imagine how much criticism King Asa might’ve received for banishing his own grandmother. You could listen to this and say… “Well, this is the Old Testament. It was much harsher. We are in the New Testament, which is more loving and gracious.” But we have reached the verses in the New Testament that show that even though we aren’t called to execute family members, we are still called to choose God over them. But before Jesus talks about choosing Him over family members, He first talks about the divisiveness of the gospel, and I’ll explain why in a moment. Look with me at verse 49… Luke 12:49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!  Fire represents judgment, so Jesus is saying He came to bring judgment to the earth. This isn’t how we normally think of Jesus’s first coming, is it? We think about him bringing judgment at his second coming but bringing salvation at his first coming. For example, he said… John 12:47 I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. Yes, Jesus came to save the world in his first coming…but what happens to people who reject him? They get judged! In the very next verse Jesus said… John 12:48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words HAS A JUDGE; the word that I have spoken WILL JUDGE HIM on the last day.  So, reject Christ, get judged, and experience the fire he brought. But now look at the next verse for those who RECEIVE Christ… Luke 12:50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!  So right after talking about the judgment unbelievers will receive, Jesus talks about the judgment HE received for believers. The baptism Jesus is referring to is the crucifixion. The word baptize means immersed, and sometimes it’s used to describe being baptized, or immersed, in trials. We even talk about a baptism by fire when we’re talking about people suffering. That’s what Jesus is saying about himself here. Notice he said how great is my distress until it is accomplished, or until the cross is behind him. Because Jesus is God in the flesh we can lose sight of his humanity. But right here we see a very human response to the cross. JUST THINKING ABOUT being crucified was greatly distressing to him. We know that Jesus’s distress became even worse as his death approached. In the garden it was so bad he sweat drops of blood… Luke 22:44 Being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. But despite his distress and agony at the thought of going to the cross this was the reason he came and he was determined to do it. Notice how Jesus tied these two great events together: The judgment of unbelievers The judgment He received for believers He tied them together because his suffering on the cross is the only way we can escape the fire to come upon the earth. So there’s a clear association between the two. Right now following Christ sounds really good, because we can avoid judgment. But Christ also wants us to know that following him comes at a cost, and that cost can be division from our own family members. Look at verse 51… Luke 12:51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.  This is an interesting verse, because it introduces a view of Jesus that contradicts not only what the world believes, but even what many in the church believe. Here’s what I mean… There are unbelievers who don’t believe Jesus is the Son of God, but if they hear you: Condemn sin Preach repentance Discuss judgment or punishment, especially hell Talk about God’s wrath or anger They’re going to quickly pipe up about Jesus being a man of peace. They might have never wanted anything to do with Jesus earlier, but the moment they can use him to defend their beliefs they’re going to do that. But here’s what’s interesting… There is a lot of truth in what they’re saying: The announcement in Luke 2:14 when Jesus came was, “Glory to God in the highest, and ON EARTH PEACE.” Ephesians 2:17 says Jesus “Came and preached peace.” He regularly told people, “Go in peace.” He told his disciples, “My peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you.” He taught, “These things I have spoken to you that IN ME YOU MIGHT HAVE PEACE.” So how do we explain this? Was Jesus a man who brought peace or division? The answer is yes! The Gospel Creates Peace Between God and Man Listen to this verse… Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.  Our sin made us God’s enemies. But after we repent and put our faith in Christ we are reconciled to Him… Romans 5:1 Since we have been justified by faith, we HAVE PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ. And… Colossians 1:20 Through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, MAKING PEACE BY THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS. So the gospel brings peace between God and man. But here’s the thing… To be reconciled to God we experience division from unbelievers. Think of it this way… Everyone is born in the same group, and that is the group of sinful people who are separated from God. When we are reconciled to God we are separated from this group. We can’t remain part of it. It is one or the other and this creates division. The Gospel Creates Division Between Man and Man Listen to these verses illustrating the division that occurred over Christ during his earthly ministry… John 7:12 There was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” Hear the division? Some people think he’s good, and others think he’s bad. So, a few verses later we read… John 7:43 So THERE WAS A DIVISION among the people over him. Here’s another example… John 9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And THERE WAS A DIVISION among them. And another example… John 10:19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. So even before Jesus went to the cross he was creating division. People are finding themselves in one of two groups: those who rejected him and those who received him. And this division played out past Christ’s earthly life and will continue throughout all of human history. Everyone will find themselves in one of these two groups. Listen to what happened when Jesus sent out the 12 apostles, and how it created division… Matthew 10:12 As you enter the house, greet it. How did they probably greet the house? They probably said, “Shalom,” or “Peace be with you.” This was the common greeting of the day. Matthew 10:13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, Sounds pretty good at first, doesn’t it? Their peace comes upon the house. Everyone’s getting along well. Now listen to what it says… Matthew 10:13b but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. They’re supposed to take their peace with them. They can’t even leave it there. And it gets worse… Matthew 10:14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.